Chances are you've probably had your own room for most of your life, and you may have even had your own bathroom. So the idea of sharing a room with a total stranger can be more than a little daunting, not to mention the thought of sharing a bathroom with four or twenty other people. Some students then, opt to room with someone they already know, perhaps a good friend from high school. But is that really the best thing to do?
We have always believed that living with your "bestie" might not be the best idea. For one thing, you often discover you are not as compatible as you once thought you were, and sometimes those newly discovered differences lead to huge rifts in your friendship. There is value in learning to live someone you don't know. For example, it helps you develop your communication skills, and you learn the art of negotiation. Yes, you can learn those living with someone you do know, but it's not quite the same thing. Having a roommate that you didn't know in high school can teach you a lot about yourself, and you might end up finding a new best friend. At the very least, you'll meet a lot of new people.
A new book - How College Works by Daniel F Chambliss and Christopher G. Takacs - illustrates the benefits of living in a traditional dorm. Not only does dorm life help you develop new friendships (one of the biggest concerns for college freshmen), it also is a great equalizer, because you're all starting off on the same foot. But perhaps the best reason for living in a dorm, according to the author's research, is that "the broad exposure seems to be the best pathway to success." That is something we've seen time and time again.
For more information on the research into the benefits of dormitory living, visit http://bit.ly/1lcaXWh.
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